Sudan Raises Prices of Gasoline, Diesel

Motorcyclists queue-up for fuel at a gas station in al-Amarat district of Sudan's capital Khartoum on June 10, 2021.
Motorcyclists queue-up for fuel at a gas station in al-Amarat district of Sudan's capital Khartoum on June 10, 2021.
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Sudan Raises Prices of Gasoline, Diesel

Motorcyclists queue-up for fuel at a gas station in al-Amarat district of Sudan's capital Khartoum on June 10, 2021.
Motorcyclists queue-up for fuel at a gas station in al-Amarat district of Sudan's capital Khartoum on June 10, 2021.

Sudan's energy ministry raised the price for car petrol to 620 Sudanese pounds ($1.07) per liter from 522 pounds per liter, it said in a statement on Thursday.

It raised the price for diesel to 720 pounds per liter from 672 pounds, it said.

The Ministry said the decision came as part of its monthly revision policy based on international prices of petroleum products.

Meanwhile, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Jibril Ibrahim, said on Wednesday that the government is borrowing limited sums of money from the Central Bank, but was still able to control inflation.

The Sudanese economy has been in crisis for years. However, the economic collapse deepened since the military seized control in a coup in October 2021, halting a transition towards democratic elections following Bashir's overthrow in a 2019 uprising.

Meanwhile, western governments have suspended crucial aid in addition to a debt restructuring program that is supervised by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Asked about the amount of local currency printed by the Central Bank, Ibrahim said: “Not much. We have a ceiling and fortunately we have not reached that limit.”

Ibrahim told Reuters on the sidelines of the COP27 climate talks in Egypt, that Sudan is borrowing within the limits set by the IMF.

“This is not negatively affecting inflation or the exchange rate,” he said.

International lenders and western donors said economic support to Sudan would resume once a civilian government is established.

Lately, Sudan's military leaders have submitted notes on a draft constitution as a basis for talks under international mediation.



Oil Falls from Highest since October as Dollar Strengthens

People stand on the the pier with offshore oil and gas platform Esther in the distance on January 5, 2025 in Seal Beach, California. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP
People stand on the the pier with offshore oil and gas platform Esther in the distance on January 5, 2025 in Seal Beach, California. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP
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Oil Falls from Highest since October as Dollar Strengthens

People stand on the the pier with offshore oil and gas platform Esther in the distance on January 5, 2025 in Seal Beach, California. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP
People stand on the the pier with offshore oil and gas platform Esther in the distance on January 5, 2025 in Seal Beach, California. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP

Oil prices dipped on Monday amid a strong US dollar ahead of key economic data by the US Federal Reserve and US payrolls later in the week.
Brent crude futures slid 28 cents, or 0.4%, to $76.23 a barrel by 0800 GMT after settling on Friday at its highest since Oct. 14.
US West Texas Intermediate crude was down 27 cents, or 0.4%, at $73.69 a barrel after closing on Friday at its highest since Oct. 11, Reuters reported.
Oil posted five-session gains previously with hopes of rising demand following colder weather in the Northern Hemisphere and more fiscal stimulus by China to revitalize its faltering economy.
However, the strength of the dollar is on investor's radar, Priyanka Sachdeva, a senior market analyst at Phillip Nova, wrote in a report on Monday.
The dollar stayed close to a two-year peak on Monday. A stronger dollar makes it more expensive to buy the greenback-priced commodity.
Investors are also awaiting economic news for more clues on the Federal Reserve's rate outlook and energy consumption.
Minutes of the Fed's last meeting are due on Wednesday and the December payrolls report will come on Friday.
There are some future concerns about Iranian and Russian oil shipments as the potential for stronger sanctions on both producers looms.
The Biden administration plans to impose more sanctions on Russia over its war on Ukraine, taking aim at its oil revenues with action against tankers carrying Russian crude, two sources with knowledge of the matter said on Sunday.
Goldman Sachs expects Iran's production and exports to fall by the second quarter as a result of expected policy changes and tighter sanctions from the administration of incoming US President Donald Trump.
Output at the OPEC producer could drop by 300,000 barrels per day to 3.25 million bpd by second quarter, they said.
The US oil rig count, an indicator of future output, fell by one to 482 last week, a weekly report from energy services firm Baker Hughes showed on Friday.
Still, the global oil market is clouded by a supply surplus this year as a rise in non-OPEC supplies is projected by analysts to largely offset global demand increase, also with the possibility of more production in the US under Trump.